Interference
by crowprincess14
Summary: It was against merfolk law to interfere. If they did, their kind would be discovered sooner or later, and generations of peace would be abruptly ended. And yet here Rin was, interfering left and right.


**A/N: Written for the amazing Jo-chan for her birthday~!**

**Interference **

"A kiss?"

"Yeah! That's how humans say I love you, right?" Red eyes met his own inquisitively. Rin had learned about humans in his classes, but Haru was the first one he had met in person. Therefore, he was the only one who could verify what was truth and what was fiction made up by the government to scare kids out of sneaking to the shoreline. Which, incidentally, was what Rin had been doing for a couple of weeks now.

Haru's large eyes blinked a couple times, not sure if he had heard his friend right. "Right, but-"

Rin cut him off, a wide grin revealing his inhumanly sharp teeth. "Then what are you waiting for?"

A light blush crept into his cheeks. "But I've only seen adults do stuff like that! Besides, kissing is gross." His nose wrinkled up in a youthful expression. None of his friends had ever kissed anybody, boy or girl.

Rin laughed. "Oh, come on Haru. I'm not some icky girl." Seeing the hesitance in the other boy's face, he pulled himself higher up on the rocks so that he was face to face with the boy dangling his feet over the water. The movement caused his vibrant scarlet tail to glitter in the sunlight. Their noses almost touched, and Haru could feel his breath on his lips. He smelled like brine and something fishy, but Haru couldn't make himself pull away.

"Please?" His voice was more serious now. "For me?"

Haru gave a slow nod, before he could talk himself out of it. "Just… Just this once." His eyes flickered away from Rin's intense gaze.

A swift smile passed over his face. "Ok." Leaning forward, he pressed his lips against Haru's. Awkwardly, the dark haired boy tried to imitate the motion he saw older kids doing when they kissed each other. He felt the other boy's arms slip around his waist, both to pull him closer and support himself. _Rin tastes like salt water_, he found himself thinking. Somehow, though, it was the most wonderful thing Haru had ever tasted.

The action of Rin shifting his weight, however, caused Haru to lose his balance on the slippery and moss covered rocks. With a cry, he felt himself topple forward into the air. Rin tried to grab at the rocks, but couldn't detach himself from Haru in time to grab a hold and keep them both from falling. With a splash, they both hit the water several feet below.

Rin's eyes shot open as soon as he felt his gills activate and begin filtering the murky lagoon water. A thousand panicked questions filled his mind to the brim. Oh god, where was Haru? There were too many bubbles, he couldn't make out a thing. What if he hit his head? Could he be drowning because of him? Rin knew Haru could swim, but the water could be unpredictable. Even the strongest human swimmers could be sucked under.

"Haru!" he screamed into the turbulence, growing more frightened by the moment. "HARUKA! ANSWER ME, DARN IT!"

Then there was a light tap on his shoulder. Rin spun around, tail whipping behind him.

Haru had his breath held tightly, as his puffed up cheeks indicated. If he hadn't been so filled with anxiety, Rin would have thought it cute. The dark haired human boy was smiling at him, not seeming bothered at all by their sudden fall. He gave Rin a small wave.

Rin made an exasperated noise. Why didn't he swim to the surface instead of floating five feet under water? He knew all too well that humans weren't like merfolk. They didn't have gills to keep themselves alive underwater or tails to swim around with. The water would fill up their fragile lungs and kill them in a matter of moments.

He'd seen it happen before. Last summer, he and his parents had been swimming in a storm when a human fishing boat got caught in a wave and capsized. His parents quickly had tried to cover his eyes and swim him away. It was too late, though. He had already seen the struggling figures slowly go limp one by one. Rin had cried as he was dragged away, but there was nothing either he or his parents could do.

It was against merfolk law to interfere. If they did, their kind would be discovered sooner or later, and generations of peace would be abruptly ended.

And yet here Rin was, interfering left and right. Giving Haru another irritated look, he grabbed the boy by his shirt collar and hauled him to the surface of the secluded lagoon.

Haru gasped, sucking air back into his oxygen deprived lungs and treading water easily.

Rin glared at him. "What the hell were you thinking?!"

Haru stared at him, shocked by both his language and his tone. "What are you talking about?"

"You could have drowned, you idiot! What would I have done then?!" His face had distress written all over it. "What in the name of Poseidon was going through your think skull?"

"I thought you looked beautiful." Haru said simply.

Rin started, taken aback by Haru's disarming honesty. "Huh?"

Haru shrugged. "I was going to swim to the surface. But then I saw your scales reflected in the water and your hair floating around you and I just… I just couldn't look away. I can't explain it."

Rin felt his face heating up. He hadn't been expecting that in the slightest. His mother said humans were strange creatures, and Rin was positive that Haru was the strangest of them all. "Erm, thank you. But next time, just swim to the surface." He cursed the fact that being flustered made his voice shake.

Haru laughed quietly, eyes shining with amusement. "Ok, I promise." Suddenly, he swam forward slightly and planted a light kiss on Rin's lips. "Thank you for saving me, Rin."

Rin's eyes widened, then his lips slowly curled into a smile.

Maybe interference wasn't such a bad thing after all.


End file.
